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Congressman Allen West visits William T. Dwyer High School to Discuss Moms, Daughters, and Underage Drinking

Apr

02

2012

Palm Beach Gardens, FL– By significant margins, a 2012 survey commissioned by The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility reports parents are still the leading influence in a child’s decision not to drink alcohol. Behind parental influence is the influence of friends and peers. The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility recognizes these key influencers and is encouraging Moms and Daughters to start an ongoing dialogue with each other on the risks of underage drinking.

Today, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility and Congressman Allen West (R-FL) were in West Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Congressman West encouraged girls at William T. Dwyer High School to start a chapter of Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking. Girl Talk is a student-to-student mentoring program founded by Haley Kilpatrick that pairs middle school girls with high school girls who serve as mentors. This unique mentoring program promotes leadership skills and positive decision-making among our nation's girls, which includes saying no to underage drinking, making positive life choices and building self-esteem, learn the importance of community service.

The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility created the Girl Talk: Choices and Consequences of Underage Drinking lesson to improve dialogue between mothers and daughters. Girl Talk has helped initiate and sustain conversations about alcohol in other communities around the country and hopes to do the same in Palm Beach Gardens.

“Girls need to be informed of the toll that underage drinking can take not only on their health but also on other aspects of their lives, said Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility. “We want all of the young girls to know that underage drinking has many negative consequences and it’s something they need to discuss with their parents.”

Girl Talk founder and executive director Haley Kilpatrick recently wrote and released a book, The Drama Years: Real Girls Talk About Surviving Middle School – Bullies, Brands, Body Image, and More. The book focuses on the turbulent middle school years in girls’ lives and gives advice and strategies to help tween and teen girls refocus and traverse these turbulent and emotional years of their lives into adolescence. “

Teenage years are a time of great transition in everybody’s life and I am proud to be at William T. Dwyer High School to encourage the girls here to start a Girl Talk chapter and talk to them about the choices and consequences of underage drinking,” said Congressman Allen West. “Girl Talk has helped start the conversation about the dangers of underage drinking between countless mothers and daughters across the country and I am proud to help launch it in our community.

Parents serve as the ultimate role models and can direct their daughters to www.desiretoinspire.org so they can learn how to set up a chapter of their own in their communities.

About The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility is a leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and promotes responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol. The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility develops and implements innovative programs and public awareness campaigns and promotes action through strategic partnerships. Established in 1991, The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility’s initiatives are highlighted on its website at www.responsibility.org.